How many ball valves are really needed?

[Tristenbrews]

I'm starting to get pieces together to build a 3 vessel, 2 pump, eHerms system. I saw that bargain fittings has a sale (at least I think it's a sale) on 3 pieces ss valves, so I'm thinking about buying up what I need (first official purchase). In my mind, you need a valve whenever liquid is leaving a vessel, and one on the output side of each pump.

So, to me, this means I need 2 for lauter tun (1 out, 1 out for herms coil), 1 for mash tun, and one for boil kettle. Plus 1 for each pump. I see a lot of people putting a valve on every entry and exit point. I'm just trying to do what is logical and functional. I know the savings overall will be small compared to the whole system cost, but still, I'm trying to be frugal about the whole process.

 

[Gameface]

It really depends. I don't have a valve on the output of my herms coil. I don't have a valve on the input/whirlpool arm on my boil kettle.

I don't move hoses during a brew day. I have a bunch of valves on both of my pumps.

Water pump has ss cross, a purge valve, a valve to the HERMS and a valve to the HLT recirc.

Wort pump has a ss cross, a purge valve, a ss T, a valve to the HERMS, a valve to recirc the BK, and a valve to transfer to the fermenter.

The HERMS coil has a 3-way valve to select which pump it receives from and the wort pump has a 3 way valve on the inlet to switch between the MT and BK.

But I want to do B2B batches so I'll be going to 3 pumps soon.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

hlt - output, herms in, herms out, whirlpool
Mlt - output, input
Boil - output ,whirlpool
Then one on each pump output

 

[donbrew]

Most plumbers will say the more valves the better. If you don't need one today you may need it tomorrow.

If cost doesn't matter one at each entrance and exit to anything.

 

[Tristenbrews]

thanks for the replies. I will just go ahead and order the 10 and have the valves. Do you guys happen to know if this is an actual sale, or pretty standard pricing from bargain fittings? http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=36_57&product_id=128

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

I'm starting to get pieces together to build a 3 vessel, 2 pump, eHerms system. I saw that bargain fittings has a sale (at least I think it's a sale) on 3 pieces ss valves, so I'm thinking about buying up what I need (first official purchase). In my mind, you need a valve whenever liquid is leaving a vessel, and one on the output side of each pump.

So, to me, this means I need 2 for lauter tun (1 out, 1 out for herms coil), 1 for mash tun, and one for boil kettle. Plus 1 for each pump. I see a lot of people putting a valve on every entry and exit point. I'm just trying to do what is logical and functional. I know the savings overall will be small compared to the whole system cost, but still, I'm trying to be frugal about the whole process.

I think i ended up buying 9 of them from him for my 3 vessel system im building, the price is too good to pass up for a 3 piece full port ball valve.

 

[augiedoggy]

I really like the threeway ball valves... they are indispensable on my setup... and very reasonable thru duda diesel.

 

[LandoLincoln]

You only need to put valves where you're trying to reduce or stop flow FROM a vessel or pump. Putting a valve where wort or water is flowing IN is a recipe for exploding hoses, so if you're running water in to your MLT through the bottom valve / dip tube while you're mashing in, then you have to be very cognizant that the MLT valve has to be fully open during the process.

No, I've never understood the need or use of valves on either end of a HERMS coil, nor the recirculation input openings at the top of the HLT and MLT. Don't have them on my system and I don't miss them not being there. I think people put them on their rigs because a) they saw other people's rigs with them on there and they were just copying from that person's rig and/or b) they make the rig look cooler and/or more symmetrical.

You need five valves. One for each vessel's dip tube and one for each pump output.

Some people like to install a T with a second valve on the wort pump output to bleed air out of the line. Personally, all I do is just open the camlocks a wee bit until the air escapes from the lines. It causes some drips of wort to leak out, but...eh. It's brewing. It's an inherently messy process.

 

[Tristenbrews]

You only need to put valves where you're trying to reduce or stop flow FROM a vessel or pump. Putting a valve where wort or water is flowing IN is a recipe for exploding hoses, so if you're running water in to your MLT through the bottom valve / dip tube while you're mashing in, then you have to be very cognizant that the MLT valve has to be fully open during the process.

No, I've never understood the need or use of valves on either end of a HERMS coil, nor the recirculation input openings at the top of the HLT and MLT. Don't have them on my system and I don't miss them not being there. I think people put them on their rigs because a) they saw other people's rigs with them on there and they were just copying from that person's rig and/or b) they make the rig look cooler and/or more symmetrical.

You need five valves. One for each vessel's dip tube and one for each pump output.

Some people like to install a T with a second valve on the wort pump output to bleed air out of the line. Personally, all I do is just open the camlocks a wee bit until the air escapes from the lines. It causes some drips of wort to leak out, but...eh. It's brewing. It's an inherently messy process.

That's kind of where my mind was at with this whole process.

 

[augiedoggy]

Some of the valves are they to prevent the mess... I brew in a spare converted bedroom and dont like wort spilling all over when I disconnected things. So I went one step further and now I dont have to disconnect any hoses or pumps at all when brewing... it works quite well.

 

[kal]

Some of the valves are they to prevent the mess... I brew in a spare converted bedroom and dont like wort spilling all over when I disconnected things.

Agreed. This is why on my setup I have ball valves on every hose connection point, even those that are input connection points to kettles (not just output).

Kal

 

[paulegli]

Some people like to install a T with a second valve on the wort pump output to bleed air out of the line. Personally, all I do is just open the camlocks a wee bit until the air escapes from the lines. It causes some drips of wort to leak out, but...eh. It's brewing. It's an inherently messy process.

I feel like my brew day got a lot easier once I added a T and bleed valve (really, just a plastic hose bib) to the outlet of my pump. I'm not getting burned by hot wort when I bleed the air out of my lines, and I don't have to futz around with the camlocks in order to get my pump primed. I also like being able to fully drain all my lines through the bleed valve before disconnecting them. I'm still a messy brewer, but with this setup I'm a little less sticky by the end of the day.

 

[lextasy23]

Here's my schematic. I have 6 3-way valves, 2 chuggers, and 2 small 12v recirc pumps (slow quiet sparging, HLT recirculation to prevent stratification). I also [won't] need to switch hoses during brewing.

This is fully closed-loop, and even includes drainage and hot water filling and cold water chilling.

EDIT - this is an older rev. with 5 valves. I added another for pumped drainage. I got a sweet deal on the valves.

 

[ParadiseBeer]

lextasy23, can you please post a link to the 12v pumps you use that can handle the heat for your HLT and sparging? Thanks

 

[iijakii]

I always put my MLT/HLT/BK in-ports up so high so I never needed valves there. Not even necessarily for cost-savings, but just saw no need. I had them on my outputs of course, and then on the lower/out of my HERMS coil. Could regulate flow there, as well as prevent spillage if for some reason hose-swapping. Didnt have valves on my DC pumps as I ran those full-throttle, but when I had a March I did.

 

[crane]

lextasy23, can you please post a link to the 12v pumps you use that can handle the heat for your HLT and sparging? Thanks

I have a few of these that work well.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/12V-DC-1-2-10...p-4-Meter-Total-Head-/291626588090?nav=SEARCH

 

[lextasy23]

lextasy23, can you please post a link to the 12v pumps you use that can handle the heat for your HLT and sparging? Thanks

Here they are! They're rated for 100C and the other reviews state that they've been used by other home brewers. I ran a bunch of hot and cold water through it already, I don't see any specific "food safe" label on it, to my understanding that's a pretty difficult process with the FDA. It's CPVC construction dictates it's food safe. My concern is if bits of grain might clog it - i'm using it to suck wort from the MT drain, pump it through the HERMS coil, and back to the MT.

http://www.amazon.com/Yosoo%C2%AE-Solar-Water-Circulation-Brushless/dp/B00DWORE5A/

I have a few of these that work well.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/12V-DC-1-2-10...p-4-Meter-Total-Head-/291626588090?nav=SEARCH

Same ones!!